Resilient boot and shoe preserver and hanger



May 2, 1967 T. s 3,317,054

RESILIENT BOOT AND SHOE PRESERVER AND HANGER Filed Feb. 25, 1965 6 FIG.4.

INVENTOR Frederick T. Gies 7 BY fiai United States Patent 3,317,054 RESILIENT BOOT AND SHOE PRESERVER AND HANGER 1 Frederick T. Gies, 207 Hilton Terrace, Newport News, Va. 23601 Filed Feb. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 435,170 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-34) This invention relates to a resilient boot and shoe hanger which will support a boot or shoe either from the heel or from the front end of the sole while drying or preserving them while being stored when the boot or shoe is not being worn.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved one-piece resilient boot and shoe hanger formed with a central supporting loop for engagement by :a hook or other supporting means, and with a pair of opposed reversely bent loops which terminate in depending arms having inwardly directed pointed or sharpened prongs for engaging the opposite sides of a boot or shoe heel or sole for supporting the same while drying or while being stored when not being worn.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved one-piece resilient boot and shoe hanger which will be highly efficient in use and quite inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of my application,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved boot and shoe hanger and holder attached to the heel of a boot while supporting the same;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the improved boot and shoe hanger and holder attached to the front end of a boot sole while supporting the same;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the improved onepiece resilient boot and shoe hanger and holder, and

FIGURE 4 is an edge view of the improved one-piece resilient boot and shoe hanger and holder.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, I provide an improved form of one-piece resilient boot and shoe hanger and holder preferably formed from a single length or body of relatively rigid wire generally denoted by the reference numeral 1, and comprising an upstanding central section looped centrally upon itself to provide an upstanding central enlarged elongated supporting loop or eye 2. Opposite and outwardly directed branch portion-s 3 flare out immediately in a curved manner from the end of the eye 2 and lie substantially coplanar land are of a combined length to substantially correspond to the width of a boot or shoe. The branch portions have terminal ends looped upon themselves in reverse fashion to provide oppositely bent spring loops 4 and 5 which lie substantially in the same plane. Each of said loops has an extending straight terminal arm portion 6 and 7 projecting in an opposite direction from the eye 2 and beingspaced apart and disposed in substantial coplanar relation and being urged slightly towards each other by the spring loops 4 and 5, which are of single and simple construction. The arm Patented May 2, 1967 portions 6 and 7 are coextensive in length and terminate in free distal ends having free laterally inturned pointed or sharpened prongs 8 and 9, which are directed toward each other and are cooperatively coplanarly arranged to cooperatively clamp on opposing portions of the edge of a sole or heel of a boot or shoe. The eye 2 constitutes a hanger means in that it is provided to receive a hook 10 which may be disposed on a rod 11 or other supporting means.

In operation the depending arm portions 6 and 7 are moved outwardly against the spring tension of the resilient loops 4 and 5, thus widening the distance between the inwardly directed opposed prongs 8 and 9, after which the boot or shoe heel or toe end of the sole is positioned between the pointed or sharpened prongs and the said arms are moved toward each other solely under the tension of the resilient loops 4 and 5, thus positively clamping the said heel or toe end of the boot or shoe, after which the hook 10 is inserted into the supporting eye 2 and the boot or shoe is thusly supported while drying or while not in actual use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A device for supporting a boot or shoe in a suspended position from a support by engaging opposing side portions of the exterior edge of a sole or a heel, said device comprising a one-piece body of inherently resilient but relatively stiff thin wire-like material having an upstanding central section looped centrally upon itself to provide an upstanding supporting central eye functioning only for reception of a hook of a hanging supporting means and having outwardly curved branch portions flaring out immediately in opposite directions from the eye and lying substantially coplanar, said branch portions being of a combined length to substantially correspond to the width of a shoe or boot and having terminal ends looped once upon themselves in reverse fashion to provide oppositely bent spring loops, said loops lying substantially in the same plane, each of said loops having an extending straight terminal arm portion projecting in an opposite direction from the eye, said arm portions being spaced apart and disposed in substantial coplanar relation and being urged slightly toward each other by the spring loops, said arm portions being coextensive in length and terminating in free distal ends having free laterally inturned prongs, said prongs being directed inwardly toward each other and being cooperatively coplanarly arranged to cooperatively clamp on opposing portions of the edge of a sole or heel of a boot or shoe.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 337,311 3/1-886 Davis 27320 1,162,891 12/1915 Tiffany 24257 2,889,936 6/ 1959 Kassner 21134 FOREIGN PATENTS 231,226 3/ 1944 Switzerland.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

K. J. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner. 

